How to Practice the Presence of God | Part 1

The lobar fighting studios to see a Byron Tyler here with your Yvon the CEO of local fighting. He has risen he is risen indeed, as we are a couple of weeks away now for Easter were excited to celebrate with our lover funny listers about this special time of year, but it's the best time of year is it not as we celebrate a risen Savior, who is alive and well in our lives each and every day.

And as we spend more time with him. We become more like him. That's the essence of this sermon. As we move into this time of Easter celebrating of the resurrection of our Lord and Savior Jesus of it's a time to experience Easter and we want to help our love were fighting friends experience Easter with their families and friends in the full sway and we have some resources to do just that. What I think the best way to do that is a new Bible study that we have bought the cross never been heirs never been heard before we met never been heard before.

Well, you have heard it but nobody else has to feel this is something that you discovered a Bible study were Adrian Rogers sits in front of a small group it's a video right to video and it's great content.

It's a wonderful message and it's perfect for this time of year and this Bible study is available only@ourwebsitelwf.org or the LWF mobile app absolutely in the mobile app is one of my favorites. I use it every day. I can tell you, in addition to that, Byron.

You have the daily devotionals you have out of the vault. You have all kind of different things that are available right there in the Alpine, so please download the app and use it as a way of life. We are Christmas we have something called voices of Christmas we have something for Easter called voices of Easter exercise also available on the app but it will only help you get faithful 31 moms you got an opportunity to give on the app I think it's one of our best assets will as we talk about Easter this wonderful time to celebrate again. The Savior's resurrection Adrian Rogers had this to say the most glorious thing about Easter is not that we will live forever with our Lord.

Though that is consummately glorious, most glorious thing about Easter. It is the prima facie evidence that, indeed, Jesus Christ is Lord, he is shown to be the son of God with power by the resurrection from the dead, and so this is the crowning evidence that all that he said is true and all that he promises will come to pass. We thank you for taking time to write lobar fighting and let us know how the ministry is encouraging you, helping you in your walk with Christ. Here's a listener who says I'm a school bus driver and me and the kids start her day off right listening to Adrian Rogers's messages are so clear and helpful in a school bus. The wheels on the bus go round and ride in it so simple rice with your nine or 90, you comprehended and that's the ministry of Adrian Rogers. You know how to practice the presence of God. TI ME time will with that. That's our message today with Adrian Rogers how to practice the presence of God. Part one. Here is Adrian Rogers Jimmy finding in God's word. The book of Exodus chapter 33 and when you found it.

Look up here and let me tell you that we're talking about how to practice the presence of God. When we worship our Lord would worship in spirit and in truth but worship is not in a particular locale worship is anywhere that we breathe, the name of Jesus we are temples of God, the Lord lives in us and dwells in us, but I'm afraid that many of us are not conscious of the presence of God in our lives. We do the best we can. We have certain duties that we perform. We have certain rituals that we go through we have certain beliefs that we adhere to. But God is not a bright burning living reality in our lives. What we have here is a lesson in the life of Moses. Moses had an encounter with God. The presence of God was so real and Moses life that his face literally, not regularly but literally shown.

He had seen God do such a degree are at least he had experienced the presence of God do such a degree that the life of God was so in him that his face literally shown to the degree that he had to wear a veil over his face when he would go out in the public and he would take the veil off of his face when he would go into speak face-to-face with the Lord and the people knew when Moses spoke that Moses had a message from Todd because of his shining face. Not a sad thing is this that Moses lost the glow there was a time when I glow faded but Moses continued to wear the veil this time not to veil the glory of God.

But now he's wearing the veil to keep people from knowing that the Lord God is no longer there.

I'm just wondering if we don't have some beacons like that some Sunday school teachers like that some of you in this auditorium and some listening by radio that there was once a time when God was very real to you and you still go through the motions. I don't know what veil it is that you are wearing, which are still outwardly saying yes Jesus is real and precious to me, but inwardly you know that you're hiding behind some kind of avail. Let me give you some steps to make God real to get the globe back want to do in the glow is gone.

Number one, there must be the termination.

There must be a determination that you will have God in your life look in chapter 33 verses one through four and the Lord said unto Moses department and got pants now and the people which thou hast brought up out of the land of Egypt to the land which I swear and Abraham, to Isaac, and Jacob say unto thy seed will I give it. God said I made a promise I'm going to keep my promise. Moses, so get up and go into the land and then notice verse two and I will send an angel before the and I will drive out the Canaanite the Amorite the Hittite the parasite and the Hittite and the Jebusite and go into a land flowing with milk and honey. Now notice this and I have it on the line in my Bible. I will not go up in the midst of the for thou art a stiff neck people, lest I consume the in the way God says now Moses. I have promised you the land you going to get the land I'm going to send an angel a mighty angel to go before you. He's going to drive these Canaanites out, but Moses, I am not going to go with you.

I'll give you victory I'll give you success. I'll give you the land which you won't have my presence. Now, when God said that the Moses, the people mourned, and rightly they more because they had enough sense to know that without God.

What is the rest of what is the land without the Lord. What good is the victory without the victor. What good is the blessing without the blessing. What good is the gifts are the gifts without the giver and so the people said when I go to settle for an angel. Moses is speaking to the Lord. Verse 14 and he said my presence should go with the and I will give the rest and he said in him. If I presence go not with me. Carrie's not in what Moses is saying is Lord I'm not doing what I do morning if you go I'm not going to. I think many of us would have settled for what God said to Moses, many of us would say Lord, you promised me eternal life. I got eternal life. You promised me having got heaven. You promised me that you would see me through. You can see me through. Thank you for the angel Lord, thank you for having Lord, thank you for eternal security. Lord and that's what you settle for you would settle for that without the conscious presence of God. I want to beg you not to do you know what that's like.

That's like a husband and wife who remain married but separate and he provides for her is is all right. I'll pay your rent I'll buy your groceries. I'll cut the grass but when I go to live together friend you all that kind of relationship with God you want what God will give without having God himself RR you say I am not satisfied with separate maintenance. I want to know the Lord intimately. So there must be, there must be a determination as secondly there must be preparation must go to the next chapter Moses says Lord listen when I go to take second best. We know what an angel.

We want you and so now the Lord is ready to give them what they want, so look, if you will in chapter 34 verses one and two and the Lord said to Moses you the two tables of stone like the first and I will write upon these tables the words that were in the first tables which thou break us and be ready in the morning and come up in the morning on the Mount Sinai and present by self. There can be in the top of the mountain and I got it already given Moses the 10 Commandments. One time Moses came down and found people dancing around the golden calf and in anger.

Moses broke those two tablets of stone. God was ready to say to the people on my presence is not good to go with you. Moses settle Lord I got have your presence and so gets is all right Moses get you two more And get ready and come up on the mountain and I am going to deal with you one more time. Now, if you expect the presence of God. You need to do what Moses did what God told Moses to do look at it in verse 2B ready in the morning be ready in the morning. Don't carelessly casually haphazardly seek the presence of God. God does business with those that mean business. The Bible speaks of preparing your heart to seek the Lord to Scriptures dream. I jot down these are very meaningful to me. One deals with a man named Rehoboam and Rehoboam did not have the presence of God and his what the Bible says about him and second Chronicles chapter 12 in verse 14 and he did evil. Now why did he do we listen to and he did evil because he prepared, not his heart to see is that not an interesting verse Rehoboam why because he prepared, not his heart to seek the Lord, it doesn't even say that he did evil because he didn't seek the Lord needed evil because he prepared, not his heart to seek the Lord, there must be preparation. You must be ready, let me give you the converse of that now in second Chronicles chapter 19 verse three Heather speaks of a man named Jehoshaphat a good man and a second Chronicles 19 verse three God said to Jehoshaphat, nevertheless, there are good things found in the and that thou has taken away the groves out of the land, that is, the places of pagan worship and pass prepared by heart to seek God. You see the answers that God makes upon preparation. You prepare yourself to seek the Lord and I hope that when you tomorrow morning when you have your quiet time with God that you prepare your heart that you get away that you close the door and were going to say more about that later on that you will get proper ventilation that you will get a readable Bible that you will get a notebook that you will come with all of the distractions put away and that you will say God I have but one business right now and that is to prepare my heart the CQ again. It is not a casual haphazard thing that will help you to have the conscious presence of God. There must be determination you must say God I will not take your blessings without you I don't want any angel. I need you determination number two preparation be ready in the morning I pray God, you will be ready in the morning. Here's the third thing, determination, preparation, number three isolation look in verse three. Chapter 34 verse three and no man shall come up with the that is Moses is just going to be you and me alone now Moses was the pastor of 3 million backslidden people. They were bothering him. They were complaining they were criticizing him remind me what pastor said I don't mind being swallowed by a whale. I just hate to be nibbled to death by minnows, and that's what was happening.

Moses and God says to Moses not legally sleep alone with me is very important because you understand it later all Moses is going to intercede for those same people that he was getting away from you know the best time I spend for you is not when I'm with you, talking you about God, but when I'm with God talking to God about you. Did you know that you know the best time that you offer your children is not assertive when you're with your children when you're not with your children talking to God about your children those problems that you have that you need to isolate yourself from and get alone with God. Pastors need to get alone with God.

Sometimes people are disappointed because the pastor is not always there at their beck and call on to something folks the man of God is always available and worth a whole lot when he is available. There are times when you need to be alone with God and not just pastors parents not just parents Sunday school teachers where you are. If God is given you responsibility. You need to get alone with God. Jesus taught us that what did Jesus say when you pray, why enter into your closet and pray I did meet a close closet. He meant a close place, a place where you shut the doors and open the windows of heaven get alone with God. If you study the history of people in the Bible who been blessed and had therefore been a blessing. These are people who met God in a place of isolation. Abraham was alone in the Lord spoke to Abraham and gave him that great covenant.

Daniel was alone when God spoke to him and gave him a prophecy.

Paul was alone in Arabia where God gave him the epistles the great things that he wrote down for us in the book of Romans.

Peter was alone on the rooftop when he had a vision and God spoke to Simon Peter up there about Cornelius and opening the door to the Gentiles job was alone on the Isle of Patmos on the Lord's day when God gave him the book of Revelation.

Moses was alone in the wilderness when God gave them the 10 Commandments and the Bible tells us about the greatest example of all the Lord Jesus in the midst of a busy fruitful ministry were miracles were being done with brew himself to the wilderness to bring determination. It must be there friend preparation. It must be there. Isolation, it must be there when you pray, enter into your closet and pray here's the next thing, if you will that conscious presence of God and that is expectation was now beginning in verse four and he that is Moses due to tables of stone like him to the first, why did he hear you two tables of stone, what he expected Todd to give them something to put on them, and Moses rose up early in the morning and went up into Mount Sinai as the Lord had commanded him and he took in his hand. The two tables of stone, and the Lord descended in the cloud and stood with him there and proclaimed the name of the Lord and the Lord passed by before him and proclaimed the Lord, the Lord God, merciful and gracious, long-suffering, and abundant in goodness and truth, keeping mercy for thousands, forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin, and will by no means clear the guilty, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children upon the children's children, unto the third and fourth generation. Moses went up there to find out something from God and he got a revelation God spoke to Moses and God said to Moses, I'm going to give you something I want to be compared to takedown take with you to blank tablets.

I wonder when you have a quiet time you expecting God to give you something. I mean, when you open the word of God you expect to learn. I have two kinds of pins.

I don't know why but I have this when it up a lot of time with you but I have this when a pull out when I'm by myself. This is a flare just an old felt tip pen.

It can be any kind. But this kind I like to chew on because I meditate. By chewing on this link. I'm glad I'm smoke cigars. But that's the closest thing I get to, I would hardly everything open my Bible to read without taking this out or something like this and a yellow legal pad read by because I expect to get something when I read the Bible and folks it's easy for me to forget what I get you something. The weakest link is better than the best memory you will think you will never forget it, but you will forget it and if you come to God and you expect God to give you something. Be ready to write it down and you'll be surprised how it will clarify your mind when you write it out. Writing helps you to think clearly and to put things down cogently right to not only upon the paper rights upon your heart.

It helps you to organize these things. You see, if you are expecting God to give you something. Get ready for God to give you something somebody said when you go to prayer meeting to pray for rain.

Your brain umbrella and I. When you have a quiet time your lab notebook not give you little formula before to cause the Bible just simply to burst a flame in your hand what you do with the passage of Scripture. This is so indescribably simple light to give it to you. And yet it is profoundly wonderful and is blessed me through many, many years. What you do with the passage of Scripture is open the Bible, read it through. I jot this down piece paper and read through reading through number two saying it out. Why would the Lord renew your mind. Romans 12 wanted to if he didn't expect you to use. So read it through thinking how then pray in talk to God about one of the finest ways to learn the Scriptures to pray the Scriptures.

When God tells you something in the Bible shows you something the Bible telling about it, ask him about it.

Thank you for reading through think about. Pray it in, write it down, write it down. Being able to take this verse by verse and just write down the thoughts that God has given me then.

Next, live it out.

This is the way that it really becomes real to you. When you find something in the word of God. These promises and these truths are not museum pieces that hang on the wall the checks to carry to the bank. Live it out take it, take these promises of God. Take these precepts take these warnings and put them in your life that I will live by that today and then last of all, pass it on.

You know when we when we meet folks day by day will have something a little nugget from the word to share with them my little verse a little truth, something that God has given us and when we give away.

It comes back to us. That's the secret of remembering anything as a reason why pastors are blessed to be able to preach the word of God. When I preach the word of God to you. It does probably more good for me that does for you and is not not just a bit on you want to drip time. I put that thing around three or pointing back at me and and this is God's word to me and as I share it with you.

It become so real in my heart we can do the same thing day by day with our friends as we share the word of God.

So when you have this quiet time you get alone. You have this determination. You have this preparation. You have this isolation.

This expectation that God is going to speak to you you you two tablets of stone where you don't do that go down to Walgreens to get a notebook and be prepared for God to speak to you and you grateful for this profound and practical lesson. It's so applicable for us today. We, the conclusion of the message coming up tomorrow on the broadcast. But if you have questions about who Jesus is about how to receive him into your life today, go to where discovered Jesus page@lwf.org/radio you find resources and materials that will answer questions you may have about your faith again go to LWF.org/radio and click Discover Jesus was so glad you decided to join us for our study God's word today spend some time alone with God's word and expected pen and paper and write down and then tune in tomorrow to how to practice the presence of God on love word